United States v. Melinda Bautista Teruel (N.D. Cal.)

On September 10, 2024, the United States filed a proposed consent order in United States et al. v. Teruel et al. (N.D. Cal.). The complaint, filed on July 17, 2023, alleges that the manager of a two-story, seven-unit apartment complex in Burlingame, California, discriminated based on familial status by pressuring a couple, who had two babies during their tenancy, to move out of their one-bedroom apartment. The complaint also alleges that the manager falsely claimed that the family caused significant damage to the apartment after the couple told the manager that she could not discriminate against children. The complaint names the manager as a defendant both in her individual capacity and as trustee to a revocable trust, which owned the property during the family’s tenancy. The case was referred to the Division after the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development received a complaint, conducted an investigation, and issued a charge of discrimination. The couple intervened in the case. The proposed consent order, which still requires approval by the court, requires a payment of $137,500 to the couple and injunctive relief.